Dot scored 390 runs in a match – not out- which was believed to be a State and Australian record at the time.
With a dominating presence, Dot Laughton represented SA from 1934 to 1951, unusual in that most female cricketers had careers that lasted less than 5-6 years before domestic responsibilities called them back home.
Cricket was most exposed to society’s expectations for women at the time because of the sheer length of each game.
Dot Laughton was also the most commanding female cricketer in SA of her time. Dot had scored 18 centuries in 10 club seasons, but as she didn’t own a bat, she resorted to using the club’s bats.
She was a powerful hitter with good technique and showed a natural flair in several sports but excelled in cricket.
After her husband gifted her a new cricket bat and she proceeded to hit a century the first time she used it, she then made 59 not out for SA against a touring England.
It was that performance that earned her Australian selection in 1949 for the Third Test against England, in which she crafted 47 runs.
The first Test match in Adelaide in 1949 was won by Australia by 186 runs. A month later, Dot hit a State and believed to be Australian record of 390 not out – in 4 hours and 25 minutes (or 260 minutes); an amazing strike rate to sustain for so long.
As there was no scoreboard, Dot later said she assumed she was on “around 200”. A piece of metal was scrounged from a nearby dump and, using a metal buckle, her name, score, and date were scratched on the metal ‘medal’.
Dot Laughton was also introduced to hockey. Given the similar skill sets, she had natural skills for both sports and remarkably was also selected in the Australian hockey team to tour NZ in 1947.
